NEWS RELEASE
Date: August 18, 2023
Contact: Nathan Hokama
Strategic Communication Solutions
(808) 226-7470
nhokama@scsolutions-hi.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hawai‘i Health Information Exchange
Elects New Officers and Adds New Board Members
HONOLULU—The Hawai‘i Health Information Exchange (HHIE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of patient care through the secure exchange of health information between providers, recently elected new officers and welcomed new board members at its annual meeting held on August 16.
“Healthcare has evolved over the past 15 years. Enabling providers to seamlessly and securely access and share patient health information has raised the standard of care in our state. Even patients have come to expect their providers to have access to all of their records to make informed treatment decisions,” said Francis Chan, HHIE chief executive officer. “Our board understands the important role HHIE plays as the state’s only designated health information exchange entity and is committed to guiding HHIE into the future.”
The officers, who will each serve a one-year term, include James Lin, MD, a pediatric hospitalist with Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children, who was elected president; and Harold Mosco, chief information officer with The Queen’s Health Systems, who was elected vice president.
The other board officers were re-elected to their positions: Lisa Wong, who retired as vice president of human resources with Finance Factors, Ltd. in 2022, was re-elected secretary; Money Atwal, chief financial officer and chief information officer of The Queen’s Health Systems’ North Hawaii Community Hospital and Molokai General Hospital, was re-elected treasurer; Greg Carlson, executive director of IT service and delivery for Kaiser Permanente of Hawaii and Maui Health System, was re-elected assistant secretary; and Leonard Licina, chief executive officer of Legacy of Life Hawai‘i, was re-elected assistant treasurer.
“Healthcare intersects with so many different sectors of our economy and community. We welcome the perspectives and insights of our new board members,” Chan said. “The diverse backgrounds of our board strengthen our collective ability to think in new ways as HHIE continues to evolve for the future.”
The three community leaders, who were unanimously voted in as board members at the annual meeting, are:
Joy Barua, president and chief operating officer of Finance Insurance Ltd., who has more than two decades of leadership experience with nonprofit organizations, healthcare, higher education, and economic development.
He previously served as deputy director with the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Community Services, and as senior director of government and community relations and community benefit with Kaiser Permanente. Barua has also served as a lecturer with Hawaii Pacific University’s MBA program for the past 16 years.
Lynda Dolan, MD, is a physician who has been providing care in East Hawai‘i for more than 25 years. She currently is in private practice at The Family Medicine Center in Hilo and serves as medical director with Hawaii Care Choices, formerly Hospice of Hilo.
Dr. Dolan is also an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health with the John A. Burns School of Medicine, serving as a preceptor for medical students and residents.
She currently is board president of the East Hawai'i Independent Physician Association/Big Island Docs, and serves as a board member of the Queen’s Clinically Integrated Physician Network (QCIPN). Dr. Dolan served at Hilo Medical Center in various leadership roles from 2001 to 2021, including chief of staff.
Ian Kitajima was named president of PICHTR (Pacific International Center for High Technology Research) in early 2023. He previously was the “Tech Sherpa” and director of corporate development with Oceanit for more than 21 years. He was responsible for developing and commercializing next-generation technologies for defense, medical, clean energy, and consumer applications. At Oceanit, he co-founded three venture startups, initiated projects involving nanotechnology and applied artificial intelligence, championed computer science, and design thinking in public education for more than a decade.
Kitajima serves on the boards of the Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation, the University of Hawai‘i Alumni Association, and the Hawai‘i Institute for Public Affairs.
# # #
About Hawai‘i Health Information Exchange
Hawai‘i Health Information Exchange is the state’s solely designated entity for health data exchange. The nonprofit organization, established in 2006, provides the technology, technical expertise, and governance that enables healthcare providers, including independent physicians, clinics, hospitals, government agencies, and health plans to seamlessly share and access complete health data on patients to improve the quality of life for Hawai‘i’s people and lower health care costs for all.